Friday, April 10, 2015

This week has been uncommonly great, thanks to interactions with three very special friends.

I spent Tuesday afternoon with Diane, reviewing and discussing my portfolio and how to tell my unique story in a powerful way. Through our conversation, we devised a strong solution. Plus, it was good for my soul to spend a few hours with her and Wayne, to have the luxury of time to sit and talk, and brainstorm, and share lunch. Our conversation was deeply clarifying, and selfishly, I look forward to more. I mentioned in my earlier post that I think this will prove to be one of the most important conversations in my life, a turning point.

Then Rick hit me up with a link to a story about "should" and "must." The timing was uncanny, as I had run across the book on Amazon.com just a few days earlier, and put it in my wish list to consider purchasing it for my iPad. I hadn't seen the website yet, and had no idea how intensely relevant the content was. Rick always seems to know just what I need, just when I need it. How he does that from so far away, I have no clue. ;)

And today, I picked up Vicki from work and whisked her away to lunch. We had a couple hours to talk, and our conversation is one I will remember forever. She told me about her volunteering for the entrepreneurship program at UMKC. And her excitement was palpable. Vicki isn't an artist--and in fact she is great with finance and project management, so on the surface it probably wouldn't look like she and I would have a lot in common. However, we share many philosophies on life, we have a similar level of energy and passion, and we just "get" each other. We talked about my future, her future, our future, our outlooks, our plans, and everything in between. I wish I remembered her thought exactly, because she said it much more eloquently, but she remarked on my attitude and said that "having faith is both a gift and a choice."

And I guess I have a fourth, because I would be remiss to not mention Ginny. She has been coming to my house a couple days a week ever since we got laid off, so that we can work together while enjoying each others' company. The value of this cannot be overstated… She has been a great sounding board, has helped improve my work by leaps and bounds, and her friendship has kept my spirits soaring.

What do all these friends have in common? We all met through Hallmark. Who knows if our paths would have ever crossed otherwise. Our skills are complementary, so no matter where I go, I hope my path will intertwine with theirs again, and we will continue to do great work together. Kindred spirits are a rare and special thing. And I am deeply grateful for the inspiration they (and others) have all given me.

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions. ― Albert Einstein

I love drawing, telling stories, good friends, good food, traveling, animals, and discovering inspiration and adventure wherever I may be. I hike, run, Scuba dive, rock climb, snowboard... and take a lot of photos. Insatiable curiosity. Never miss an opportunity for fun. And I capture it all with my camera and my sketchbook, 'cause I'm a ninja like that.